Window regulator mechanism operating means



y 1955 A. E. KRUEGER 3,193,275

WINDOW REGULATOR MECHANISM OPERATING MEANS Filed July 15, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ATORNE July 6, 1965 A. E. KRUEGER WINDOW REGULATOR MECHANISM OPERATING MEANS Filed July 15, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. BY fif eaf rt'fzzeger AU ORA/1 United States Patent 3,193,275 WINDGW REGULATGR MECHANISM @IPERATING MEANS Alfred E. I eger, Detroit, Mich, assignor to General Motors (Iorporatien, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed .l'uly 15, 1963, Ser. No. 295,118 Galina (Cl. ZS-RZG) This invention relates to operating means for window regulator mechanisms and more particularly to operating means for vehicle body window regulator mechanisms.

One feature of this invention is that it provides new and improved operating means for vehicle body window regulator mechanisms. Another feature of this invention is that it provides new and improved operating means for vehicle body window regulator mechanisms includ ing clutch means selectively and alternately movable between clutched and declutched positions to selectively and alternately connect and disconnect an operating handle and the window regulator mechanism. A further feature of this invention is that clutch operating means are provided for locating the clutch means in either clutched or declutched positions, and control means independent or" the handle and remote therefrom are provided for the clutch operating means.

These and other features and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a partial elevational view of a vehicle body embodying operating means according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 22 of FIGURE 1 showing the clutch means in declutched position;

, FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the clutch means in clutched position;

FIGURE 4 is a view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 4- of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 5-5 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 6-6 of FIGURE 3.

' Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a station wagon body it} includes a tail gate 12 hingedly mounted adjacent its lower edge on the body for movement between a closed position, as shown, and an open position, not shown. A window 14 is mounted on tail gate 12 by a window regulator mechanism 16 for movement between a closed position, as shown, and an open position within the tail gate, not shown The window regulator mechanism generally includes a pair of lift arms 18 pivotally mounted on the tail gate and provided at the lower ends thereof with meshing toothed sector portions adapted to be driven by operating means 29, according to this invention. The outer ends of the lift arms are pivotally and slidably connected in a conventional manner to the lower edge of window 14 to move the window between the positions thereof upon movement of the lift arms by operating means 26.

Referring now to FIGURE 2 of the drawings, a window regulator operating handle 22 is rotatably mounted on an outer panel of tail gate 12 and includes a hub portion 24 provided with a pair of inwardly extending lugs 26. A gear train 28 adapted to be driven by handle 22, includes a cup-shaped gear 3t} having a hub portion journaled within a mounting bracket 32 suitably fixed within the tail gate 12. Gear 30 is secured against axial movement relative to bracket 32 by a split ring 34 seating on a washer 3%. Gear 38 meshes with an idler gear 2 8 rotatably mounted on bracket 32 by a headed stud til. Gear 38 in turn meshes with a cup-shaped gear 42 fixed to one end of a shaft 44 which is rotatably supported by bracket 32 and by a bracket 46 secured to bracket 32. A pinion Alt secured to the other end of shaft 44 meshes with the sector portion of one of the lift arms 13, so as to drive the lift arms in either direction upon operation of the gear train 23 by the outside operating handle 22:, as will be described.

Means are provided for selectively and alternately connecting and disconnecting the operating handle 22 and the gear train 23. As shown best in FIGURES 2 and 6, the arcuate lugs 26 of hub 24 are located radially outwardly of a pair of arcuate lugs 5d projecting from the hub of the gear A clutch bar '52 extends diametrically of gear 3i? and is rotatably secured to one end of a shaft or clutch operating member 54 which, is slidably and rotatably mounted within the hub of the gear. A spring 56 seats between a collar 58 on member 54 and gear 3% to bias member 54 and bar 52 inwardly of gear 39 to a clutched position, FIGURES 3 and 6, wherein bar 52 rests on the hub face of gear 3t? and is engageable with the lugs 51) of the gear to turn the gear when the bar is rotated by the lugs 26 or handle 22. Bar 52, and member 5-!- may also be selectively located, by means presently to be described, in a declutched position, FIG- URES 2 and 5, wherein bar 54- is located above or outwardly of lugs 59 of gear 30, so that rotation of the bar by lugs 26 is not imparted to the gear.

As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, a clutch control membeer or draft link 6% is slidably mounted onlbracket 32 by upper and lower pin and slot connections 62 and 64 for movement between a lowered or inoperative position and a raised or operative position. When member is located in the inoperative position thereof, FIGURE 3, a camrning aperture 65 therein is aligned axially of member 54 so that a rounded cam nose 66 thereof is received in the aperture under the bias of spring 56. Collar 58 engages member 69 to locate bar 52 and member 54 in clutched position. When member 60 is moved upwardly to the operative position thereof, FIGURE 2, cam nose 66 is cammed out of aperture 65 of member 65' to locate member 54 and bar 52 in declutched position.

Key-operated control means 68 are provided to selectively locate member so in the operative or inoperative positions thereof, and includes a conventional key cylinder 7t? mounted on the outer panel of the tail gate and provided at its inner end with an offset crank 72 movable with the plug of the key cylinder. A pin and slot connection '74 is provided between crank 72 and the upper end of member 69, FIGURE 4, so as to move member will between the positions thereof upon key-operation of cylinder 7% As previously set forth, when member 66 is in the inoperative position of FIGURE 3, spring 56 is permitted to locate member 54 and bar 52 in clutched position wherein handle 22 and gear train 28 are operatively connected for movement of window 14 by the handle. When it is desired to declutch handle 22 from gear train 23 so as to prevent unauthorized access, the control means 68 are operated to move member 69 upwardly to the operative position thereof such that nose on is cammed out of aperture 65 to move member :34 and bar 52 to declutched position.

Thus new and improved window regulator mechanism operating means are provided.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle body including a window mounted thereon for movement between open and closed positions, the combination comprising, a window regulator mechanism for moving said window between said positions thereof and including a rotatably mounted driven member, an operating handle, clutch means movable between clutched and declutched positions to respectively connect and disconnect said operating handle and said driven member, a clutch operating member movable generally axially of said driven member to move said clutch means between said positions thereof, and lock-controlled means located remote from said operating handle and being movable transversely of the axis of said driven member and engageable with said operating member to move said clutch means between said positions thereof.

2. In a vehicle body including a window mounted thereon for movement between open and closed positions, the combination comprising, a window regulator mechanism for moving said window between said positions thereof and including a rotatably mounted driven member, an operating handle, clutch means movable between clutched and declutched positions to respectively connect and disconnect said operating handle and said driven member, a clutch operating member movable generally axially of said driven member to move said clutch means between said positions thereof, a lock-operated clutch control member located remote from said operating handle and being mounted on said body for translational movement transversely of the axis of said driven member between operative and inoperative positions, and cooperative cam means on said operating member and said control member responsive to movement of said control member between said positions thereof to move said clutch means between said positions thereof.

3. In a vehicle body having a body panel and including a window mounted interiorly of said panel for movement between open and closed positions, the combination comprising, a window regulator mechanism for moving said window between said positions thereof and including a rotatably mounted driven member, an operating handle, clutch means movable between clutched and declutched positions to respectively connect and disconnect said operating handle and said driven member, a clutch operating member mounted on said clutch means and movable generally axially of said driven member to move said clutch means between said positions thereof, lockoperated clutch control link member located remote from said operating handle and adjacent an interior end portion of said operating member and being mounted for shiftable sliding movement transversely of the axis of said driven member between operative and inoperative positions, said link member including a camming aperture located generally coaxially with said driven member in the inoperative position of said link member and located remote from the axis of said driven member in the operative position of said link member, said operating member including on said interior end portion thereof a cam nose receivable in said camming aperture in the inoperative position of said link member to locate said clutch means in the clutched position thereof and adapted to be cammed out of said camming aperture upon movement of said link member to the operative position thereof to move said clutch means to the declutched position thereof.

4. In a vehicle body having a body panel and including a window mounted interiorly of said panel for movement between open and closed positions, the combination comprising, a Window regulator mechanism for moving said window between said positions thereof and including a rotatably mounted driven member, an operating handle on the exterior of said panel, clutch means movable between clutched and declutched positions to respectively connect and disconnect said operating handle and said driven member, a clutch operating member located interiorly of said operating handle and being operatively connected to said clutch means and being movable generally axially of said driven member to move said clutch means between said positions thereof, means including resilient means for locating said operating member and said clutch means in the clutched position of said clutch means, a lock-operated clutch control member located interiorly of said operating member in the other side thereof from said operating handle and being movable transversely of the axis of said driven member between operative and inoperative positions, and locating means including cooperative cam means on said operating member and said control member engageable in the operative position of said control member to locate said operating member and said clutch means against the action of said resilient means in the declutched position of said clutch means, said cam means being disengaged in the inoperative position of said control member to permit said locating means to locate said operating member and said clutch means in the clutched position of said clutch means.

5. The combination recited in claim 4 and further including in said locating means cooperative stop means on said operating member and said control member engageable in the inoperative position of said control member to locate said operating member and said clutch means against the action of said resilient means in the clutched position of said clutch means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,004,448 10/61 Wanlass 268126 XR HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A VEHICLE BODY INCLUDING A WINDOW MOUNTED THEREOF FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS, THE COMBINTAION COMPRISING, A WINDOW REGULATOR MECHANISM FOR MOVING SAID WINDOW BETWEEN SAID POSITIONS THEREOF AND INCLUDING A ROTATABLY MOUNTED DRIVEN MEMBER, AN OPERATING HANDLE, CLUTCH MEANS MOVABLE BETWEEN CLUTCHED AND DECLUTCHED POSITIONS TO RESPETIVELY CONNECT AND DISCONNECT SAID OPERATING MEMBER MOVABLE GENERALLY AXIALLY OF A CLUTCH OPERATING MEMBER MOVABLE GENERALLY AIALLY OF SAID DRIVEN MEMBER TO MOVE SAID CLUTCH MEANS BETWEEN SAID POSITIONS THEREOF, AND LOCK-CONTROLLED MEANS LOCATED REMOTE FROM SAID OPERATINGHANDLE AND BEING MOVABLE TRANSVERSELY OF THE AXIS OF SAID DRIVEN MEMBER AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID OPERATING MEMBER TO MOVE SAID CLUTCH MEANS BETWEEN SAID POSITIONS THEREOF. 